


Of Reconciliation and Remedies

by Emkie



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: 2x20 Coda, 2x20 reaction fic, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Episode: s02e20 Beside Still Water, Fluff, M/M, Reconciliation, Sweater sharing, baths, the fluffiest fluff to ever fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 14:57:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11831115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emkie/pseuds/Emkie
Summary: Valentine is dead, the Downworld is no longer at risk of mass destruction and Alec and Magnus are finally talking (and kissing, evidently). Magnus and Alec talk, take a bath and settle down after a long twenty-four hours, finally together and at peace with themselves and one another.





	Of Reconciliation and Remedies

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there!
> 
> I'm a sucker for reaction fics and I think I've read almost every single one on this site for 2x20 so I thought I'd write my own!  
> This is just 2k+ words of pure FLUFF.
> 
> Enjoy.  
> — Emkie

“I’m all into parties,” Magnus tells him. “But what do you say we get out of here?”

It takes him a moment to realise what Magnus is actually proposing, and another moment to realise that he needs to answer him.

“Yes,” Alec says simply and instantly a weight that he hasn’t realised that he’s been baring is lifted. 

-

Alec hadn’t known that it was possible to experience the rollercoaster of emotions that he had gone through in the past twelve hours. The feeling of bittersweet relief when Magnus had coldly agreed to seal the dimensional rift that threatened the city. Then came the absolute torture when Alec was certain that his  _ parabatai  _ had died brutally, the consolation of his resurrection. Then, when Alec had poured his heart out to Magnus, going into the conversation in the alleyway completely unexpecting, for Magnus to respond with;  _ “I can’t do anything without thinking of you _ ,” much to Alec’s surprise. He had hoped for a reconciliation, with a promise to talk in the near future — instead, Magnus had edged closer to him and wrapped one arm around his waist, the other running smoothly up his jacket clad arm and kissed him softly, almost tentatively.

When Alec was younger, discovering his own sexuality and worrying about the consequences of his preferences, he had never thought that one day he would be the constant thought running through anyone’s mind, let alone the High Warlock of Brooklyn; who had been around for centuries and still chosen him through and through. He would never have thought that he would be walking down the streets of New York City on the way to said warlock’s home, which had become more his home in the past few months than the Institute ever had been, with said warlock’s hand holding his own. 

“What are you thinking about?” Magnus asks. “I can practically see your brain working.” 

Alec turns to him, their hands still intertwined. “You.”

The bluntness of his response is something that Magnus expected to be used to. Alec has always been plain-spoken, especially when it came to announcing his feelings for Magnus and their relationship. It’s one of the many things that Magnus had admired about him early on into their partnership — Alec was always honest, his hesitant manner from when they had met long forgotten.

“You have been consuming my thoughts for days, Alexander,” Magnus replies, smirking. “It would be rude for me to not return the favour.” 

Alec rolls his eyes fondly, bringing Magnus’ ringed fingers up to his mouth and kissing each of his knuckles gently — and if the action makes Magnus’ knees buckle a little, then Alec would never have to know. Magnus is certain Alec already knows the effect he has on him. Magnus can safely say that Alec is the first to make him feel this way in a very long time. 

As they near Magnus’ apartment building, Alec slips his hand out of Magnus’ own; much to his confusion. The confused expression on Magnus’ face disappears, one of pure contentment replacing it when Alec slides his arms around Magnus’ waist, tapping lightly on Magnus’ waist a couple of times; a comforting gesture. Magnus returns the gesture, his own arm sliding up (which isn’t  _ that  _ much of a stretch) until it is draped around Alec’s shoulder, his thumb caressing the deflect rune on his neck slowly.

The loft, Alec thinks, hasn’t changed one bit. He wants to ask whether Magnus has kept the drawer full of his clothes, he silently hoped that Magnus hadn’t thrown out his favourite green sweatshirt that he had left here the last night he had stayed before Magnus had abruptly ended things between them. He doesn’t ask, not yet. 

“Can I get you a drink?” 

“No thank you,” Alec answers and shrugs his jacket from his shoulders and folds it on the back of Magnus’ leather couch. 

Alec glances around the loft, everything seems familiar and yet there is still a sense of hesitation on both Magnus and his parts, they know that there is a conversation to be had — and neither wanted to be the one to start it. 

Magnus comes around, sitting on the couch and leaving barely any distance between himself and the Shadowhunter. There is no drink in his hand, instead both hands are clamped together in his lap. “We have to talk about things,” he says finally after a momentary silence. 

“I know,” Alec answers, “I should’ve told you about—”

“—The Soul Sword, Alexander,” Magnus interjects. “Yes, you should have but I understand why you didn’t.”

“Still it wasn’t my best move,” Alec says, “I thought that I was doing the right thing. It didn’t take me long after our - fight to realise that it was definitely  _ not  _ the best way to deal with the situation. I wasn’t fair to you."

“I have forgiven you, I think I did a while ago,” Magnus tells him and reaches for his hand. “But I should apologise too — I compared you to the  _ Clave _ . You are nothing like them, you’re unlike any other Shadowhunter I have ever met, Alexander.”

“You were angry, Magnus,” Alec says, ignoring the way his cheeks heat up at a rapid pace. “You had every right to break up with me.” 

I didn’t break up with you because of that,” Alec’s brow raised as Magnus’ revelation came to light. “Yes, I thought it was a contributing factor at first — but I broke up with you because I  _ love  _ you and I had convinced myself that I had to choose between you and protecting my people.”

“But you don’t,” Alec says, his endearing smile appearing and leaving Magnus almost breathless. 

“I don’t,” Magnus repeats. “Alexander, you  _ are  _ one of my people now. I want to protect you too when I can. We can figure this out; you’re changing the Shadowhunter and Downworlder alliance one day at a time.”

“We’ve only had a few meetings so far,” he says sheepishly, “we’re hardly changing things  _ just  _ yet, Magnus.”

“Give it time Alexander,” Magnus tells him, “I still have  _ tremendous  _ respect for the Head of the Institute.”

“I must say,” Alec replies and leans forward, more into Magnus’ personal space. “I have an equal amount of respect for the High Warlock of Brooklyn.”

“Alexander,” Magnus says softly through his giggles. “You flatter me.”

“We’re okay, aren’t we?” Alec asks. The question is clearly unexpected. 

“Of course we are,” Magnus answers. “Obviously we’re going to have to work at our trust and getting it back to how it was before but we’re okay, Alexander. Like you said, we’ll always find our way back to one another.”

“You’re enjoying using my own words against me tonight, aren’t you?” Alec laughs. “On the subject of tonight; I meant what I said, Magnus.”

“You’ve said a number of things tonight, darling, you’ll have to reiterate,” Magnus smirked knowingly.

Alec knows what he’s doing but decides to play along. Any excuse for Magnus to know exactly how much he loves him. Alec leans closer again, so close that Magnus can feel his breath ghosting against his lips when he whispers lowly, “I don’t think I can live without you.”

“You don't  _ think  _ you can?” Magnus replies teasingly, his own lips painfully close to Alec’s. He wants to kiss him but he enjoys the teasing. 

“Shut up,” Alec says, rolling his eyes again. 

“For the record,” Magnus answers him, “I don't think I can live without you, either.”

“Well, that’d be a little awkward had you not felt the same,” Alec answers sarcastically and Magnus grins, he’d missed their flirty yet sarcastic comebacks to one another. 

“Shut up,” Alec answers. “You mentioned a boiling hot bath earlier that sounds  _ very  _ appealing after the long day that we’ve had.”

“I believe I did,” he laughs, “how about I go and run us one, then I can cook somet—why are you looking at me like that?”

Alec laughs, standing up and mirroring Magnus’ stance. “Magnus, in all the time that I have known you, you have never once cooked something.”

“That’s a lie,” Magnus protests, holding his hands up. “Besides, you and I both know that you are much better at cooking than I am.”

“I have to be,” Alec shrugs, a cocky smile appearing on his face. “Growing up with Isabelle, I have had to salvage so many meal.

They both laugh and Alec  _ finally  _ feels at ease. He is fairly certain that Magnus is feeling the same, his shoulders seem a lot less tense now.

-

Alec sinks down into the water, the comforting warmth enveloping him and instantly relaxing his muscles, which were tense from a long, action-filled day. He can’t complain though. Ever since he had been appointed the Head of the Institute, he rarely got to be out on the field anymore so when the opportunity presented itself, he took it with both hands. 

Magnus steps into the bath just after, settling himself against Alec’s chest. A snap of his fingers and there is a champagne flute in both of their hands. Alec looks at him questioningly. 

“I’m sure Luke won’t mind us stealing some,” Magnus answers to Alec’s amusement. “Besides, we’re celebrating.”

“Celebrating what exactly?” 

“A variety of things, Alexander,” he counters. “Valentine is dead, he is no longer a threat to the Downworld, my people  _ and  _ you are here, with me.”

“I guess that is a good reason to celebrate then,” Alec responds and clinks their glasses together. “To us.”

“To us,” Magnus repeats before settling back again, completely content.

-

They stay in the bath for longer than necessary. Skin wrinkled, lips swollen from the languid kisses that they had shared and heads maybe a  _ little  _ dizzy from the champagne. Magnus had managed to conjure a whole bottle, but Alec was cautious to drink anymore.

The gold sheets on Magnus’ bed is a warm familiarity to Alec and he has to refrain from taking a running jump onto the softness of the pillows, piled high on Magnus’ bed. The sheets look unslept in, although Alec doesn’t comment on it.

He definitely doesn’t want to think about Magnus, alone in this room, tear-stained from their brief separation and lonely. He never wants Magnus to be lonely again.

Instead of climbing under the sheets right away, Alec stays behind as Magnus removes the excess make up from his face, watches as his glamour falls and his golden eyes reveal themselves — it still makes Alec’s breath hitch in his throat.

Alec himself is only wearing a pair of sweatpants, ones that he had left in Magnus’ drawer, a wave of relief washes over him when he realises that Magnus hadn’t thrown them out in light of recent events.

Magnus follows him out of the bathroom when he is done, climbing into bed quickly. 

“What’s this?” Alec asks as he rounds the bed to his own side. He picks up the article in question.

It’s a green sweatshirt that he had left in Magnus’ bedroom the morning before they had broken up. They had argued and Alec hadn’t stayed over that night; busy with the Institute and making sure that everything was going as planned, but it didn’t stop Magnus taking the sweatshirt and pulling it over his head. 

Alec’s clothing was Magnus’ new favourite style, he decided pretty quickly after slipping it over his head. It fit well, the sleeves coming over his hands resulting in sweater paws but Magnus didn’t complain.

Magnus reddens. “That’s your sweatshirt.”

“I can see that,” Alec says, smiling and folding it up. “Why is it here — on your bed?”

“The past few nights I’ve been wearing it,” Magnus answers casually. “I must say, for such an abysmal closet selection, this sweatshirt is  _ exceptionally _ comfortable.”

Only a few times during the course of their relationship had Magnus ever worn Alec’s clothing, sometimes when he’d wake up and didn’t feel like searching for something through his closet, he’d find the t-shirt that Alec had taken off the night before and slip it on. The first time it had happened Alec had been rather amused, the way that the t-shirt seemed a little bigger on Magnus.

Alec discards the sweater, choosing to waste no more time and slides into the bed himself, covering himself with the golden silk. Their faces are inches apart, a silence blankets them for a few moments. Magnus lifts his hand, traces Alec’s features with the pad of his thumb and smiles. Alec lets him.

“Alexander, I’m sorry for making you think that I didn’t love you.”

“Don’t apologise, Magnus, I never once thought that,” Alec answers, his voice barely above a whisper. “When we broke up, it killed me, I was devastated, but you were doing what you thought was the right thing.”

“I don’t have to choose,” Magnus reiterates his earlier statement, as if he can't quite believe that he can say that now, relief coursing through his body. 

“You don’t,” Alec answers. “And you don’t have to apologise anymore, Magnus. We both made mistakes, ones that I am  _ definitely  _ not proud of, but I promise from now on I will do better by you — you are one of the most important people in my life.”

“As are you, Alexander,” Magnus says softly, running a bare hand up his arm and letting it card through his hair, a soothing gesture for Alec, who closed his eyes contently. “I will do better by you too, we never have to go through something like this again.”

“What if—”

“Darling, if we are  _ ever  _ put in a situation like this, let’s hope not, but if we are — we will not make the same choices we did this time, we’ll talk about it and do what is best for us at the time. Okay?”

“Okay."

Magnus sighs, smiling at Alec through his lashes, his golden eyes — the eyes that Alec completely adored — exposed. 

“I love you, Alexander.”

“I love you too,” Alec answers honestly. “Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on Tumblr at emkiewrites!


End file.
